Potato-digger



N. I. REED. POTATO BIGGER.

(No Model.)

No. 543,702. Patented July 30, 1895.

J W 0 m M W m m a short distance.

PATENT OFFICE.

NATHAN F. REED, OF JOHNSON, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ALBANUS EARLE, OFEDEN, VERMONT.

POTATO-DIGGER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 543,702, dated July30,1895.

Application filed March 16, 1895- Serial No. 542,024. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it knownthat I, NATHAN F. REED, a citizen of the United States,residing at Johnson, in the county of Lamoille and State of Vermont,have invented certain new and useful lm movements in Potato-Diggers, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference being had therein tothe accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevationshowing the machine in position for operation. Fig. 2 is a view showingthe machine in position for transportation from the field. Fig. 3 is avertical section showing the manner of securing the teeth in thetooth-bars.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in potatodiggers;and it has for its objects to provide a device of simple construction bymeans of which the potatoes will be taken from the earth and bedistributed in a row at one side of the machine free from dirt and readyto be gathered, to provide means for the easy removal of the machinefrom one field to another, and to provide other features of constructionwhich hereinafter appear.

Referring to the various parts by letters and numerals, 1 designates theframe of the machine, which is substantinlly rectangular in form and hassecured to its upper side, in the center thereof, the draft-pole 2. Thispole extends from the rear end of the frame to a suitable point forwardof'the machine, and secured to the forward end thereof is the clevis 3and the gage-wheel at.

Extending upwardly from the rear part of pole 2 are the handles 5,-bywhich the machine is guided, said handles being suitably braced to theframe by braces 6.

Secured to the under side of the frame are the teeth 10, which arearranged in three seats, A, B, and O. The teeth of the forward setA arearranged in the form of a wedge or shape, the front tooth of the setbeing in the center of the machine, the others diverging from it on eachside and extending rearwardly These teeth are equal distances apart andcurve forwardly and serve to open and loosen up the ground for the nextset. Directly in the rear of set A is set B, which extends diagonallyacross the frame 1 and inclines rearwardly, preferably from the left tothe right side of the machine. The teeth in this row or set are carriedby a tooth bar '7, which extends across the frame and is secured to theunder side thereof, said teeth also curving forwardly. In plan viewthese teeth stand at right angles to their oblique tooth-bar andtherefore are oblique to the draft-line of the machine, as clearly shownin Fig. 2. There are more teethin this set than in the forward set andthey are nearer together, and the set extends entirely across the frame,as shown. At a suitable distance in the rear of set E is the set C,which extends across the frame 1 parallel with set B. The teeth of thislatter set are slightly closer together than the teeth in the set B, butthey extend in the same direction. These teeth are carried by atooth-bar 8, which extends from the left side of the machine out beyondthe right side thereof a suitable distance and carries a greater numberof teeth than the tooth-bar 7.

The teeth 10 are each formed with asquare shank 12 and a square head 13,which fit in a square socket formed in the upper side of the tooth-bars,and they are all secured in place by a metal bar 14, which extends thefull length of the tooth-bar and is secured over the heads of the teethto securely hold them in position. This forms a simple and efficientfastening device for the teeth, it being simply necessary to slip theteeth in position through the apertures in the tooth-bars and thensecure the bar 14 in place over their heads, as shown.

Secured to and extending along one side of the frame is a metal bar 15,which extends beyond the forward end of the frame and is curvedinwardly, its forward end being secured to the draft-pole at the forwardend thereof. This bar forms a runner on which the machine is supportedwhen it is desired to transport it from the field.

Secured to the left side of the machine is a vertical flat tooth 16.This tooth is arranged in the rear of the rear tooth-bar and is designedto counteract the tendency of the ma chine to move toward the left,which tendency is occasioned by the manner of mounting the twotooth-bars in the frame.

In operation the forward set of teeth break up the ground and prepare itfor the set B,

which gathers the largest potatoes and moves them to the right side ofthe machine. All the potatoes not taken up by this second set of teethwill be caught by the teeth of the set C and will be moved to the right;and this last set of teeth will take up the potatoes on the right of themachine where they are deposited by the set E and will move them fartherto the right and deposit all of them at the end of this last set ofteeth free from dirt and ready to be gathered. It will therefore be seenthat the operation of taking out the potatoes 'is progressive and willrequire little power.

It will also be observed that by arranging the teeth in inclined rows atright angles to the line of draft the action of the teeth will be topush everything to the right side of the machine.

Having thus fully what I claim is 1. A potato digger comprising a frame,a plurality of sets of teeth carried by said frame, the forward setbeing in the center of the machine and arranged to open the ground, the

described my invention,

other sets being arranged in parallel rearwardly-inclined lines or rowsacross the frame, the teeth of each set being closer together than theteeth of the set in front of it, and the teeth of the inclined rowsextending at right angles to the line of the row andobliquely to theline of draft, substantially as described.

2. A potato digger comprising a frame, a plurality of sets of teethcarried by said frame, the forward set being in the center of themachine and arranged to open the ground, the other sets being arrangedin parallel, rearwardly-extending lines or rows across the frame, and avertical fiat tooth carried by the frame adjacent the forward ends ofthe inclined rows of teeth, substantially as described and for thepurpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

NATHAN F. REED. Witnesses:

CARLOS S. NoYEs, ARTHUR C. NoYEs.

